Frankie Ballard Headlines Country Jamboree

Aug. 31, 2014

Country music, wide-open outdoor spaces, and plenty of hearty, down-home food: It’s a winning formula that’s aiming to get your boots kickin’ at the Southside Festival Grounds’ very first country music festival, the Southside Country Jamboree.

LIKE NOTHING ELSE

Festival organizer Chris Cook has been running the festival grounds in Buckley for the past three years. Over that time, he said, they’ve hosted a lot of country concerts, but this is the first time they’ve focused specifically on a full-speedahead, all-country event.

An open-air venue at what Cook calls “the pro level,” with big-time stage sound equipment and a light show, Southside is a mostly casual destination, where you bring your own chair and find a place to sit, along with around 7,000 other concertgoers.

Part of Cook’s goal in working with Southside is to amp up the entertainment, and the Country Jamboree is the kickoff.

“There’s nothing like this out there, since Castle Farms stopped holding these kind of concerts years ago,” he said. “We’d like to bring more big national acts to the Traverse City area.”

To start, they’ve snagged country star Frankie Ballard, who’s transitioned from Michigan-based singer and guitarist to major-label recording artist, opening for Kenny Chesney and his longtime idol, Bob Seger, among others.

“Frankie is a great Michigan native with a top 10 hit on the country charts,” Cook said. “He puts on a fantastic show, and is a great live entertainer.”

UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS

Also appearing will be several locally based country music acts, including Re-Booted, the popular local band fronted by Judy Harrison out of Traverse City. They’re an all-female outfit that’s a favorite in the region.

“They’re performers in the style of Reba Mc- Intyre,” said Cook. “They do more of a theatrical country music production, with country dance steps and everything.”

Cook and crew are also aiming to make this concert experience even more special for fans, with artist access he says is unprecedented elsewhere in Northern Michigan.

“We’re different because of how close you can get to the performers,” he said. “With our stage, you can get within 10 feet of them, and they often hang around after the show to meet and greet fans, pose for photos, and sign autographs.”

It’s an experience that differs from the typical downstate large arena, he said. “At Southside Festival Grounds,” Cook said, “you have a more relaxed atmosphere, and you can actually get face time with the performers.”

Frankie Ballard will be headlining the Southside Country Jamboree at the Southside Festival Grounds in Buckley on Sat., Sept. 6. For a schedule, tickets and more, visit southside-hideout.com.